Tugging My Ear, Shaking My Head
by AllTheWriteMoves
Summary: Grace Sinclair has had anything but an exciting life, so when the Selection of America Schreave's grandson, Caspian, occurs, she can't pass up the opportunity to have a more exciting existence. She isn't in it for the crown, or the prince, she's in it for experience. And that interests Caspian, who was always one to chase what he can't have. (Sorry I'm rubbish at summaries)
1. Chapter 1

Tugging My Ear, Shaking My Head

Chapter 1

The Selection was not a simple contest of beauty and personality. It was a test of love at first sight, of fate, of taking chances. It was the probability that the right girl would walk into the castle doors on the first day, and that she would not walk out much too soon. But most of all, it was a challenge, for both prince and girls.

Caspian Ponsonby was a prize. That's what most of the girls in the Selection were programmed to think. He was the crown prince, and a bonus if you won the Selection. Or maybe Caspian wasn't the bonus, maybe the crown was. Each of the 35 girls was different, each of them had their own personalities and each of them wanted different things out of this.

Eloise Acuff was a perfect lady. Sarah Napier was quiet and shy. Jacqueline Jameson wasa wildcard. Seraphina Yipp was whatever you wanted her to be.

But Grace Sinclair was a different story. She wasn't here, in the Selection, for the prince, nor the crown, nor because someone close told her it would be a good opportunity. Not because of her family, they didn't need anything at all, but she was in the Selection for the experience, for a good time.

And Caspian Ponsonby. Caspian Ponsonby was not your average prince. Yes, on TV he seemed very princely, like a model king. He was kind and careful when speaking and he gave off that aura of power. But did anyone actually know Caspian Ponsonby? The real Caspian was nothing like his TV self; the real Caspian was an easy-going, fun-loving, loud, happy, curious young man.

How would that turn over with the ladies? Eadlyn Ponsonby knew that her eldest son was unpredictable and anything but princely, but there still needed be a Selection. He did need a wife, didn't he?

* * *

"Grace Sinclair! I've told you time and time again that you are not to enter the Selection!"

"Mother!" I let out a great sigh, one that border-lined into a groan. "There is a very slim chance I'll win, and even if I do, it'll benefit you as well as me! I have no idea why you're choosing to make me live this boring life for the rest of my measly existence!"

"Grace Elizabeth Sinclair, listen to me!"

"No. I'm entering this contest and there isn't anything you could do about it." With one quick movement, I was out the door. My mother had tried to stop me, but I was gone and headed to the post before she had a chance to call for my older brother to help her hold me back. And by the time the pair had caught up with me, my letter was already out of my hands and into the hands of another, and my picture had already been taken. I had entered. It was done. Now, if fate was on my side, I would be able to leave my boring life and experience a Selection. If fate was not on my side, I would be forced to stay as a boring old writer for the rest of my stupid existence, which was definitely not what I wanted to do.

As soon as my brother and mom dragged me back into our house, the yelling started. "How could you do this, Grace, we're perfectly fine off and we don't need the compensations!" they said. I'm not doing this for you, I would reply. "But what if you do win?" they shouted. Then I win and marry the prince, I tell them. It went on and on and on for so long, before my sister finally convinced mother to stop and let it go for a bit.

I took my dear little Lisbet out for a walk for that. She wasn't much younger than me, being 15, but she was a year too young for the Selection. I was 17, and the perfect age for 18-year-old Caspian Ponsonby.

Lisbet had the same black hair as I did, and skin the color of toffee, like mine. Her hair was curlier than mine was, and that I was thankful for. Hers spiraled in tight little curls that bounced from her head when she walked. You couldn't pull a brush through her hair without breaking the bristles. Mine were looser, and I could manage them with ease. Lisbet's eyes were a curious caramel color, mixing light browns and hazels and tiny bits of green. My eyes were less intricate; a simple hazel did the trick for me.

"What if you do get in, Gracie?" Lisbet asked me as we walked by the lake that sat out behind our house.

"Then I get in. Nothing will change, I'll still be with you guys after it all, don't worry." Lis didn't seem so convinced, as she stayed quiet. "Lis, I promise I won't abandon you if I do make it into the Selection. I'll keep you in mind, and I'll even mention you whenever I'm on TV." She perked up at that.

"You promise?"

"Pinky swear." We linked our pinky fingers together in an unbreakable promise.

"You know, you're really pretty, Grace. You'll definitely make it in."

"Gosh, I hope."

"And Prince Caspian is very handsome. I wish that I was old enough to enter the Selection. Aren't you excited that you might meet a prince?" She was throwing many things at me at once now that she was over her little worries.

"Yes, Prince Caspian is very handsome." It was true, too. He had light brown hair the color of an acorn that he gelled back in a formal manner. His eyes were a greeny color, which l thought was the absolute best eye color to have. My mom had green eyes, though instead of brown hair she had gold, and I had been jealous all my life. His face was perfect in every way, and as was his body. He wasn't very exciting, though, and that's what worried me the most about being Selected. If I was, would I just change from my normal boring life to a more elegant boring life?

"It's only a matter of time before the Selected are announced, I do hope you get in…" My sister kept going on and on and on as I thought over the choice I had just made. Was it indeed the right one?

"Come on, Grace, come on!" Lisbet knocked on my door frantically. "It's already started! I told you it was starting and you ignored me!"

"I'm writing… I need to have something to back me up when this doesn't work out…"

"Grace!" She kept knocking. There was a pause, then more loud knocking. "I can hear names being announced now! Sarah Napier, Eloise Acuff, Jacqueline Jameson, Michelle Trysconston… Come on, Gracie!" I sighed, standing from my bed and walking to the door.

"Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a twist…" Lisbet grabbed my hand and rushed me down the stairs, just in time to hear the name 'Grace Sinclair' be called on the television. Lisbet stopped dead in her tracks, and my mother and brother turned to look at me.

"You got in," Lisbet said slowly, still processing it all. "You got in! Gracie!" She enveloped me with a great hug, while my mom stood on, giving me a glare.

"I cannot believe it," I muttered, returning Lis' hug. "I'm getting out of here."

"Yeah, and into the castle!" Lis shouted, and I laughed.

"Yes, indeed." In reality, I was nervous. But I couldn't show that. This is what I worked so hard for, right?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next week or so was hectic, and my mom wanted none of it. I think that most of it was because she hadn't wanted me to join anyway, but because of her, my brother, Thomson, had to fill in as my legal guardian.

The guy who came to discuss everything went over every single thing he possibly could have. Money, transportation, what happened after, the rules. Oh, especially the rules. The most fun part about that was when he asked if I was a virgin! Of course I am, and of course I told him that, but with my brother right there...

Once we were given our first paycheck thing, all the rules, and everything else, the man left, and I was free for another couple days. Then it was off to the castle with me. My last days were spent with my family, my friends, and my stuff. I wasn't allowed to take anything to the castle with me. Anything clothes wise, anyway. I could bring other stuff, but the man had said everything that I might need would be provided, whatever that meant.

When the day finally arrived, the day I was to leave, I had to wear a simple dress. It was required of me, and it was just a plain black thing. I heard that a couple Selections ago, they had pants and a nice blouse. I was wishing I had been in that Selection instead as I tugged the stupid dress over my head. At least I looked better in dark colors.

While I was prepping my tiny bag of possessions, my mom knocked on my door. I called out, "Come in!" and she walked in with a sad look on her face. I put down my bag to look at her. "Mom," I started, but she just shook her head and hugged me.

"Grace, please, don't get your heart broken," she whispered in my ear, and I let out a little laugh.

"I'm not even remotely interested in the prince, mom, don't worry. I'll be fine." I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a tight squeeze. "Mom, I'll write every day. Just don't be worried, I'm a natural at meeting new people." It was my mom's turn to laugh.

"You're terrible with new people, Grace."

"I know." I was always so awkward around new people, I was sure the prince would kick me out the first time we met. And if I got to stay through the first week… How would I manage to be on TV? "I'll be fine. I need to leave in 10 minutes, I'd better go say by to Lis and Thomson." My mom pulled away and nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I love you," I said as I slung my little bag over my shoulder and walked out of my bedroom.

As I walked down the stairs of my house, I heard crying. "Lis, it'll be fine, I'm sure Grace will write about her adventure at the castle. We'll get a new letter every day, I'm sure."

"I don't want her to go!" my sister exclaimed, breaking down into sobs once again. I sighed and made my way to my siblings.

"Lis, don't cry, okay?"

"But Gracie!" She hopped up off the couch and ran to me, giving me a tight hug. "You'll write every single day?"

"I will."

"No exceptions."

"But, what if I've had a long, long night with the prince? What if we had been at a party and I was exhausted and couldn't move from my bed? What if I was too busy making out with the prince to write a letter?" Lisbet giggled, and Thomson shot me a look.

"Okay, only then." She was calmed down by now and had released me from her deathly grip. I turned to my older brother with open arms. He walked over and hugged me tight.

"I'm going miss you, Grace," he said, and I could hear his voice cracking a little from tears.

"Tom, you've gotta keep Lisbet happy while I'm gone. Do all the things I do with her. Ice skate on the lake, swim in it, play games, just keep her happy." He nodded before releasing me.

"I think it's time for you to leave," he whispered, noting the time.

"Someone will be here to pick me up, then," I said, reaching over to give Lisbet one last hug. "I love you, Lis." There was a knock on the door, which signaled it was indeed time to go. "Bye," I said one last time, before walking to the door and stepping out.

"Come on, now, we don't have much time until we need to be at the airport," a woman was saying, and she tugged my arm. "We have to leave now. The big farewell ceremony will have to be short."

"Oh, I've already said goodbye to everyone I need to."

"That's good, then. Come on. I'm Joanna, by the way. Now lets get going, come on, Grace." I followed her out, to a car where I was pushed in. People were crowding the streets, eager to see me off, but the car was honking to get people out of the way. The airport wasn't far, so driving probably was the best idea.

When we arrived, Joanna rushed me out of the car and into the place. She sat me on a bench before looking around and sighing, plopping down next to me. "The other girls aren't here yet," she realized, standing. "We're right on time and no one is here yet."

"It's… It's quite alright, waiting isn't bad," I tried to tell her, but she shook her head.

"No, waiting for us at the castle is not good." She was very frantic, ready to hop on the plane and take off. She began pacing, and I simply sighed. It went on like that for maybe 10 minutes before 3 girls came walking toward us. An elegant looking brunette, a fragile looking girl with dark brown hair, and a happy looking redhead. "Finally!" Joanna appeared to be visibly more happy, and she introduced me to each of the girls. The first was Eloise Acuff, the second Sarah Napier, and the third Jacqueline Jameson. Just looking at them I knew I would have to try hard as I could to stay for at least a week.

We all boarded the plane, and I sat next to Eloise and Sarah. Jacqueline sat in the seat behind us. We were all spun around for most of the flight to talk with each other. We learned many things. I found out Eloise was after the crown, not the prince, Sarah was after the money, not the anything else, and Jacqueline… well, Jacqueline was completely infatuated with the idea of becoming a queen, but also with the prince….

By the time the plane had landed, we were all friends. At least, I considered us all to be friends. We were escorted out of the airport and past crowds of people, who I waved to and tried to say hi to, but was rushed along, and we were pushed into a car and driven to the castle. Which, I must say, was huge! We were told that we wouldn't be meeting the royal family until the next day, and that today was mainly for tweaking our appearances.

It was an absolutely wonderful experience. Firstly, they took me and scrubbed every bit of dead skin off my body. They made me feel soft and new, and they rubbed all sorts of lotions and oils on me to make me smell very flowery. After making me smell like a garden, they washed and trimmed my hair. I guess it was a bit uneven and dead at the ends, but now it was shorter and felt lighter on my head, and stranger, too. They straightened it, as well, which was a new experience. The people styled it up to princess standards (or what I assumed were considered so) and then pushed me off to the makeup station.

There they asked me what I wanted. I had no idea what to answer, so I just said, "Whatever you think will look nice." They did my makeup light after that, then sent me off to be put in a dress. The dress they put me in was a snug, navy blue thing that had thin straps and hit just below my knees.

The whole thing was something I'd like to forget, honestly. It was so very fussy, and all that came from it was a set of Before-and-After pictures. They also gave us all some information on when we'd be on the _Report_, and conducted mini-interviews. After it all, they showed us to our rooms and told us when to come down for dinner, then left us be.

As soon as I walked into my room, I let out a gasp. It was beautiful. Light colored walls, nice, blue covers on the bed, a desk, a bookshelf, a typewriter, pens and paper, and just a bunch more that I could never describe. While I was admiring the room, 3 girls who looked to be around my age came in.

"Miss?" one of them called out, shocking me out of my trance. "I'm Lucille, and these are Patricia and Rebecca. We'll be your personal maids."

"My maids?" I couldn't possibly wrap my head around it at the moment, so I sat on the bed. "How long until I have to be downstairs, do you know?"

"About 2 hours," the one called Patricia said. "You could take a nap, if you'd like."

"I'd much rather look around. Do you think I'd be able to go explore the castle for an hour?"

"I'm not sure if you're allowed to," Rebecca answered.

"Oh." I sighed. "I'll just… stay in here then. I'm sorry if I interrupted you from any work you were doing."

"It's quite fine, these two were just cleaning and I was adding some finishing touches to this dress." Lucille motioned to the corner of the room, where there was a sewing machine sitting. She was sewing a beautiful, deep purple gown. I was amazed.

"Did you sew that?" I asked, walking over to touch the soft-looking fabric.

"Yes, what do you think?"

"It's absolutely beautiful," I replied, turning back toward her. "Did you sew all the dresses I'm to wear?" Lucille nodded.

"Rebecca and Patricia do, as well."

"And I'm glad for that. It seems I've gotten the best maids in the entire castle." All three of them giggled, and I laughed along with them. "I think I'd like to read. You can leave, if you want." I pulled a book out from my small bag of stuff and settled onto the bed, losing myself in the book. I wasn't sure if they had left or not, all I know is that I put down the book an hour and a half later to see them cleaning and sewing.

"It's about time to get ready, miss," Lucille said to me. I nodded, though I wasn't very ready to go eat. I just wanted to rest, get ready to try and not be so socially awkward tomorrow when meeting the prince. Despite that, I stood from the bed and let them touch up my makeup, do my hair, and put me into a simple, sapphire colored gown. I was let down to the Women's Room, where we were shown a preview program. It simply showed all of us arriving and being transformed into 'princesses."

After watching, we were off to eat dinner. The seats were set for tonight, but tomorrow morning we'd get to sit where we wanted. I was sat next to one obnoxious girl whose name slipped my mind and Seraphina Yipp. Seraphina thought very highly of herself, it seemed, and she couldn't seem to stop talking about how absolutely ecstatic she was about meeting Prince Caspian. Eloise shot me a sympathetic look from across the table, but I shrugged it off and continued eating. The food was delicious, after all.

As dinner came to a close, we were all told to go to bed. We had a big day ahead of us, after all. I marched straight up to my room and got prepared for bed, with the help of Lucille, Patricia, and Rebecca. They put me in a thin, silky nightgown that barely reached my knees, but it was what I had to wear, so I didn't complain.

I plopped down on the comfy bed, thanking them for all their hard work. "I do hope I can wear one of your dresses tomorrow at breakfast," I said as I snuggled into the bed.

"All your gowns are made by us, miss," Lucille replied.

"Perfect," I mumbled, turning onto my side. I heard them say their goodnights before leaving the room, and I fell into what felt like the perfect sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I awoke to the sounds of a bath being drawn. As I sat up from my bed and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, Lucille opened the curtains to let some light in.

"We were just about to wake you," she said, directing her attention to me. Patricia was tending to the bath and Rebecca was taking out dresses. I got out of the bed and walked into the bathroom, where I assumed I was to go. They made me smell and look nice, which was wonderful, before sending me off to breakfast.

I got a little distracted by the paintings on the walls on my way there, so I ended up getting lost in the halls of the castle. I was aggravated with myself as I tried to follow the paintings back to where I needed to be.

"Are you lost?" A small voice called out to me, and I almost jumped. Whoever it was had startled me. I turned to see a girl who was maybe my sister's age or younger. I recognized her face, though, and I quickly realized she was Princess Rachelle, Caspian's younger sister.

"I seem to have lost my way, yes." I fumbled with my words, and she just smiled gently.

"I assume you're going to same place as I. We'll be a little late, but everyone's eyes will be on my brother, not us." There was a hint of sadness in her voice, but she quickly covered it with a smile. "I'm Rachelle."

"I'm Grace," I replied. She had turned to walk down the hall, and I followed quickly after. She had the same acorn colored hair as her brother, and it flowed out behind her as she walked down the hall. Rachelle was walking rather fast, actually. "Are you worried about being late?" I asked as I finally got to a spot next to her.

"Not really, my parents aren't very strict about this. But my brother, Xavier, isn't feeling well. I'm sure my parents would like to have at least two children at the first breakfast." She was talking fast, and I nodded. Suddenly, she came to a stop. "Here it is. Would you like to go in first, or shall I?"

"I'd probably prefer going in after you."

"It really wasn't a question meant to be answered," she said with a giggle, before pushing me into the room. All eyes were on me as I scurried over to sit in a seat. Rachelle came next, walking beautifully to her spot at the table, with the rest of her family.

Breakfast was set out beautifully in front of us, and the royal family looked just as elegant where they sat at the end of the table. Prince Caspian looked like he was eager to begin meeting us, and the girls all looked like they were plenty eager to meet with him. I, on the other hand, was rather hesitant. I was not ready to meet a prince, much less this prince.

At the table, I was seated between Eloise and Sarah. They, along with Jacqueline, were the only friends I had made in this competition, and that I was thankful for. The three seemed like the least crazy.

"What do you think he's like?" Eloise whispered to me. I knew she was nervous about meeting the prince. She wanted to stay in the competition and win the crown, and she was hoping he had a good personality so she could 'fall in love with him without so much effort.'

"He's probably a snob," I whispered back, putting a bit of toast in my mouth.

"I think he'll be nice," Sarah said with a shrug as she stabbed a bit of food with her fork and popped it into her mouth.

"I've heard he's a real hothead," Jacqueline piped in from her spot beside Eloise.

"Shh!" Eloise hissed, looking around to see if anyone had heard. "Not so loud, they might hear." She glanced to where the royals were sitting. I looked too, and Rachelle sent me a small smile. I smiled back before turning back to my friends.

The prince began calling people up halfway through the meal. He made a tiny speech – "I'm sorry to interrupt the wonderful meal, but I believe it's time for you beautiful ladies to meet with me." – before calling people by seat. Eventually, it came down to the last four, Jacqueline, Eloise, Sarah, and me.

Jacqueline went up first. When she came back, her face was as fiery as her hair. "He's so charming," she said, holding a hand to her heart dramatically.

Next was Eloise. She walked up, a look of poise upon her serious face, but came back with a small smile. She was giggling, can you believe that? "I don't think it'll be as difficult as I thought," she said, wiping the smile off of her face.

It would have been me next, but I was so nervous that shy little Sarah offered to go before me. We watched her scurry up to meet with the prince, and her face was red the whole time. She looked nervous and toyed with her hands, but the prince said something that made her stop fidgeting. It was magical.

And then, it was my turn. I took in a deep breath and sighed. "Good luck," Eloise said quietly, and I gave her a smile.

Walking up to the prince made me nervous enough. Sitting down in front of him made me want to run. My heart was racing and my mind was jumbled and-

"Hello? Do you not have a name or something?" I glanced up to see the prince staring at me with an amused look on his face. "Because I'm sure I can make something up. Lucinda?"

"It's Grace," I said, "Grace Sinclair." He kept staring at me with this look, and I immediately felt a panic come over me. "Uh, your majesty. I'm sorry, I forgot that part. I'm a bit, well, awkward when it comes to new people and I need to get used to you before I can actually hold a decent conversation and-"

"You talk quite a bit, Grace Sinclair." He chuckled. "I'm Caspian, but I'm sure you knew that. And you are by far the most beautiful girl that has come up here today." I took one look at his eyes and could tell he was lying. I could tell by just looking around the room. There were plenty more beautiful in the room.

"Do you use that line on every girl?" I accidentally let slip, which resulted in me getting an eyebrow raise from Caspian. He smirked at me before nodding his head.

"Yes, I use it on many girls. Do you use that awkward spiel on every boy?"

"My 'awkward spiel?' I just… why would I ever use that to get a boy?"

"I found it quite adorable." He had a playful grin on his face, and I shook my head.

"There you go again with your absolutely cheesy pick-up lines. Don't expect me to giggle and blush like everyone else." My filter wasn't working once again, and most things I thought came out of my mouth. That happened quite often when I got nervous.

"Oh, will you giggle and blush once you're used to me?" I stood from my chair and let out a breath of air.

"You're rather cocky for a prince," I said before I made my way back to my seat. I heard him laugh.

"Grace, would you stay?" Caspian called after me. I stopped to turn back to him, and I felt all eyes land on me. The hall had become silent.

"Excuse me?"

"Would you stay after?" I raised an eyebrow, but nodded my head nonetheless.

"Of course," I replied as I turned to walk.

"Up here with me, I meant." I was frozen in my spot once again. Jacqueline was mouthing something to me at a speed too fast for me to know what she was saying, and Eloise had a tiny look of shock on her face. Sarah looked worried, but also happy. I slowly spun around to shoot him a look.

"Excuse me?" I repeated.

"Don't act as though you didn't hear me." Caspian had that annoying look on his face again, and I was so tempted to decline his request, but he was the prince and I was obliged to do what he said. Besides, the whole lot of them were staring at me like I was on display. I sighed and began walking back up to where he was now standing.

"Please, sit," he said, and I could tell he was holding in laughter. "And, any other girls I asked to stay, please do so. The rest may leave." With that, breakfast was over. I was sitting by the prince, tapping my foot on the ground, and he wasn't paying one bit of attention to me.

Once it was cleared out, Caspian turned his attention to the girls still sitting at the table. "I'm terribly sorry, ladies, but you are going home today. Right now, actually." I watched as the shock took over, then the sadness. People were crying, some were just sitting quiet, and some were shaking their heads sadly. "And you, dear Grace, are staying. I just wanted to talk with you some more."

I stared at him with the most incredulous look on my face. "I'm not going home with them?" I asked him. The look on my face must have made him chuckle, or maybe it was the way I said it, but he shook his head.

"No, not today. Unless you'd like to?"

"I never said that."

"So you would like to stay and, what was it, get to know me better?" His playful look was back on his face. He was really silly for the next ruler of Illea.

"I never said that, either."

"What did you say then?"

"I simply asked for clarification." He shook his head, a grin on his face, before turning back to the other girls. They seemed to have been momentarily forgotten.

"Ladies, I apologize for the short trip, but it has been an absolute pleasure having each and every one of you here. Please, go home to your families with a smile on your face. You've done more in the past day than most will in their life." He stepped away from his chair but paused, turning back to me. "Grace?" He held out his hand for me, and I supposed I was to take it. I did just that, reaching out and gently taking his hand. He walked from the room of sobbing girls, pulling me along with him.

"Why did you ask me to stay behind if you weren't going to send me home?" I asked him. He looked over at me with a grin.

"It's my way of getting you used to me." He winked as he pulled me into the next room with him, where everyone else was sitting. Eloise, Jacqueline, and Sarah's eyes all widened when they saw me walk in with the prince. Caspian released my hand and I walked over to where they were seated.

"They told us the people who stayed behind were being eliminated, and we were sure you had gone home," Eloise whispered. "How are you not gone?"

"He wanted to talk to me…" I was still wondering why, exactly, he had chosen to keep me behind to do that. We had barely spoken at all, in fact, and all it did was give me an inside look at how things worked when you were getting kicked off.

"What did you say to him to make him so interested in you?" Jacqueline whispered, and I shrugged my shoulders.

"I didn't say anything, really. I forgot to call him 'Your Majesty.' Oh, I also called him cocky."

"You called the prince cocky?" Eloise had a horrified look on her face. "Grace, I'm surprised you didn't get kicked off!"

"He's much different than his on-screen personality, I think," I said quietly, glancing around to see if anyone was listening. "You see it too, don't you? He's silly, cocky, flirty, not quite as charming and refined as he is when he's on television."

"You're being ridiculous, Grace. Of course he has to act that way on TV, but he was like that with me while I was speaking to him." Eloise was dead-set on the idea that the prince was exactly the same on TV and in person.

"I agree with Eloise," Sarah said quietly, "The prince was very charming when I spoke with him. He wasn't silly or anything like that. He was nice, and also very prince-like." It seemed everyone had seen the princely side of Prince Caspian. That he had put on an act for everyone except me.

It was strange, yes, but rethinking the things that came out of my mouth made it almost obvious why. I didn't treat him like a prince like the rest of them did, I treated him like any other person.

And I think that is what got his attention.


	4. Chapter 4

We spent most of the rest of the day in the Women's Room. The first week was all about dating, getting to know the prince, and just getting used to the castle, wasn't it? So why was it that we were all stuck in this stupid room? I guess they wanted us to meet the rest of the contestants.

I was talking with Eloise, Sarah, and Jacqueline when a certain dark-haired beauty came over to where we were seated. "Grace, is it?" Seraphina said, her voice hinting that she believed herself to be better than us.

"That's my name," I said, nodding my head. "Do you need something, Seraphina?"

"I'd just like to talk to you," she explained. I nodded again, waiting for her to speak. "Alone," she added, looking at the three girls around me. I sighed quietly and stood, following her to the other side of the room.

"What did you want to talk abo-"

"What did you say to him?" I was taken aback by her sudden interruption, and the question confused me a little.

"Who?"

"The prince. Why did he ask you to stay behind but not send you home like he did the others? Why are you not gone?" She crossed her arms, a demanding look on her face.

"The respect you have for me is literally pouring from your ears." She shot me a look. Obviously sarcasm wasn't a good choice to use with her. "I didn't really say anything, I just spoke to him like I would any other person."

"Did he invite you out yet?" I shook my head.

"No, he didn't invite me out." My answer seemed to please her, and she walked away from me without even goodbye. Not that I minded, of course. I turned and went back to Eloise, Sarah, and Jacqueline. They gave me curious looks, and I just shrugged my shoulders. "Has the prince asked any of you out?" I asked them.

"Actually, he invited me to sit with him in the gardens around lunchtime," Eloise admitted, giving me a small smile. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"We're going out tomorrow night," Jacqueline said, "I don't know what we're doing but I'm excited."

"And he did ask me to sit with him after dinner," Sarah said, quiet as ever. I was taken by surprise. He had asked three of my friends, and Seraphina, I supposed, out already, and it was still just the first day. I guess he did have to get to all the girls before we all first appeared on television, but why hadn't he asked me out?

The fact that I was becoming jealous over the simple fact that I hadn't been asked out by the prince was infuriating. I quickly shook all jealous feelings out of my head and smiled at the three girls.

"He hasn't asked me out quite yet," I admitted to them. "Maybe me staying after was simply a test to see whether or not I should go home. He obviously doesn't believe I'll be around long enough to bother with a date." I was lying through my teeth, as Caspian had admitted to me that I had stayed behind because he wanted more time to talk with me. But if that was indeed the case, what was the reasoning behind not asking me out? It just didn't make sense to me.

"Don't worry," Eloise told me, placing a hand on my arm. "I'm sure he adores you."

"I'm sure he's just waiting for the perfect time to ask you," Jacqueline said, "Something absolutely amazing!"

"Yes, I'm sure," I mumbled, brushing Eloise's hand off my arm. "I don't really mind, I just want to be sure I have something to talk about on TV if I make it to the end of the week. It'd be terribly awkward if I didn't." They all nodded in understanding, not seeing through my lie.

Time passed, and lunch approached quickly. Eloise excused herself so she could go change for her date with the prince, leaving the rest of us sitting, bored out of our minds. I decided I would bring down my book to read, so I excused myself soon after Eloise did.

As I walked through the castle halls, I noticed all the beautiful paintings on the walls. I could draw much inspiration from them, as each scene was like a different story. A snowy mountain cabin, a warm-looking beach setting, a beautiful sunset with birds flying in the background. I was mesmerized.

So mesmerized, in fact, that I did not notice that someone was talking to me until they placed their hand on my shoulder. I quickly spun around.

"Oh!" I saw it was the prince and continued walking, staring at the paintings. "You scared me, you know."

"I'm sorry, but you weren't answering me," he said back, walking behind me. "Do you like the paintings?" I nodded my head, stopping to look at a particularly nice one.

"Who painted this?" I asked him, pointing to the picture slightly. Caspian looked around my shoulder at the picture, a smile appearing on his face, one that gave the impression he knew something I didn't. Which he did, but I knew it was more than the artist's name.

"Ives."

"Ives?" I once again snapped my head around, looking at him. "Ives Stone?"

"I figured you were a fan." He chuckled, walking past me down the hall. How dare he, in the middle of our conversation?

"But I've never seen this piece before!" I followed after him, determined to know _where_ this beautiful Ives painting had come from. He was my favorite artist, and even I had never seen it.

"That's because it was made for us," he replied, looking over at me. "We're the royal family. Ives is one of my closest friends."

"You know _Ives?_"

"I know everyone, dear Gracie."

"Who said you could call me Gracie?"

"Well, I am the prince." He smiled his cocky little smile, and I shook my head.

"Don't you have a lunchtime date with Eloise you should be getting to?"

"Correct. I should be going, but I hope to see you later?"

"I suppose I'll see you at dinner." Caspian grinned, like he was keeping something from me.

"Yes, dinner," he said simply, before walking away. I continued looking at the pictures on the walls for another moment, before making my way to my room to grab my book.

Lunch came and went. After lunch, we were all escorted out to the courtyard, where Eloise and the prince were already waiting for us. It seemed every girl on the lawn was whispering to another, discussing the possibilities of what was to come. Eloise moved from her spot by the prince to walk to me, Jacqueline, and Sarah.

"How did your lunch with the prince go?" I asked quietly. She smiled at me.

"It was absolutely lovely. We discussed the political state of Illea and foreign affairs."

"Wow." I looked from Jacqueline to Sarah, a small smile on my face. "Sounds…. fun." Eloise opened her mouth to say something, but Caspian spoke before Eloise had the chance.

"I'm sure you ladies are wondering why you're all out here." Caspian smiled, looking around at all our faces. "I thought it would be fun to have a treasure hunt."

"A treasure hunt?" Everyone turned to look at me as they heard my unamused response. Caspian raised an eyebrow, a slightly amused expression on his face.

"Yes, Gracie, a treasure hunt. Is there a problem?" I shook my head, embarrassment making my face heat up.

"I- uh, no. Not at all."

"Good. Because the prize for winning is very special, something I'm sure you'd enjoy, Grace Sinclair." He smiled once again, looking away from me. "You'll pair up, no more than 2 per group. I'll give each pair their first hint. The first pair to find the golden object at the end of the hunt gets a prize." Eloise and Jacqueline paired up, and I paired up with Sarah.

Caspian came around and handed out little cards. Sarah and I were group 4, and our clue was "The hall where lights shine bright is where you'll find your next clue."

"The clues will take you all around the castle," Caspian explained once he finished handing out the cards. "I'll be waiting out here for you. If you find the final object, bring it back here immediately. Good luck." And just like that, all the girls began running off, trying to find their next clue. Sarah and I walked into the castle slowly, reading it over.

"This is obviously referring to the starry hall," I said, remembering reading about a certain hall in the castle where there were lights all over the ceiling, making it look like a starry night. "But I have no clue where that is. Somewhere near the princess's room, I believe."

"Their rooms are up the stairs, a floor above ours," Sarah said, and we were off. Once we made it to the top, we turned and ventured down the hall. We were terribly lost, and had no clue where we were going.

"Did my brother's treasure hunt idea become reality?" A voice behind us spoke, and Sarah

and I both whipped around. Standing there was a boy who looked to be about our age. He was blond, and tall, and looked very princely. It was obviously Xavier, Caspian's younger brother.

"Yes. We're looking for the starry hall," Sarah explained softly. I could tell she was uncomfortable, but there was nothing I could do but get her out of the situation at once.

"Down the hall, to the left. The note is stuck to the wall." Xavier was quick, and straight to the point. I thanked him and pulled Sarah away. New people and Sarah didn't mix.

We made it to the hall and found the note, which was directing us to the kitchen. On our way back, we ran into Xavier, who walked with us down the stairs.

"I didn't catch your names," he said. His voice was very smooth, almost calming.

"I'm Grace, and this is Sarah," I answered, turning into the kitchen as I spoke. "Why weren't you at breakfast this morning?"

"I wasn't feeling my best, and I thought it would be better to stay in bed for another hour."

"Oh, Rachelle did mention that you didn't feel well."

"She announced it to the entire dining hall?" Xavier didn't seem to happy about this idea, so I quickly shook my head.

"No, I was lost this morning, and she helped me find the dining hall. We spoke a bit while we were walking."

"You seem to have a terrible sense of direction." Xavier grinned, and I laughed.

"Yes, that is very true. I'm terrible with direction."

"Well maybe one of these days, you'll get lost and find one of the many exciting rooms in this castle." Xavier gave us a small wave before turning in the opposite direction of us. We continued to the kitchen, where the staff gave us the next note. Luckily, this one led to the library, a place I had passed many times in my short time here.

We were quickly on our last clue, which was leading us out to the garden. Yes, it was where Caspian was waiting, which was weird, but maybe the golden object was with him. The clue said we were to talk to the person who grew the chrysanthemums, but we had no clue who that was, naturally. When we arrived back in the garden, Caspian was standing by the very flowers that we mentioned on our card, so we quickly made our way to him.

"Those are pretty," Sarah noted, startling Caspian. He relaxed once he saw it us, and nodded.

"Yes, indeed they are."

"Do you know who grew them?" I asked, kneeling to look at one of the flowers. They really were beautiful.

"I suppose I do," Caspian answered. When I glanced over at him, I saw that playful smile on his face. That alone told me all I needed.

"You grew these?" I questioned, an eyebrow raised. Caspian nodded proudly, and pulled a beautiful gold bracelet from his pocket.

"I planted them with my mother when I was young," he said, reaching out and grabbing Sarah's wrist. He clipped the bracelet onto her before shooting me a grin. "I have a different prize for you. One I assume you'll enjoy more than a bracelet."

"So you only had one bracelet?" How had Caspian known Sarah and I were going to win? Apparently, he hadn't, as he pulled another bracelet from his pocket.

"No, I have another. I just figured the gift I have in mind for you would be more enjoyable than a simple bracelet." He pocketed the bracelet once again before clapping his hands together. "Alright, that's enough fun for today. You two ladies go back to your rooms until dinner. I'll alert everyone else that you've won." That was something I didn't feel the need to protest. I immediately turned to head back to my quarters. I could deal with an afternoon of reading on my bed.

Sure enough, reading was the perfect way to waste away the afternoon. When Lucille came to fetch me for dinner it was dark outside, though I hadn't noticed until she popped her head in the door. I quickly changed for dinner, ate quietly, and went back up to my room when it was time. I didn't pay much attention at dinner. I was quite tired, believe it or not, from my afternoon of nothing.

But it seemed others were not quite as tired as I. As I layed in my bed, trying desperately to fall asleep, I heard a soft knocking at my door. I thought it was in my imagination at first, but as it got louder and more frequent, I realized there was indeed someone outside of my door, wanting to be let it. I sighed as I rose from the bed and shuffled across the room.

The bright hallway light flooded in, and I was temporarily blinded by it. All I could do to figure out who was outside my door was listen to a voice that was talking quietly, but rapidly.

"-and I figured you might like swimming, so I brought you a couple suit choices, unless you don't want to come, and-"

"Wait, Caspian?" My eyes finally adjusted to the light, and all I saw was a bathing suit-clad prince standing outside my door, two towels and some swimsuits in hand.

"That's 'Prince Caspian' to you, Gracie," he said with a grin, holding out the swimsuits. "So what do you say? You in for a swim?"


End file.
